Through A Storm
by Myfaerytale
Summary: A/U: Arizona is the perfect cheerleader. Callie is an outcast. When their worlds stumble together, are they able to hide their secrets? Or will the pressure from their perfect little town cause more trouble than they anticipated? (Rated M for adult situations, language and sensitive content.)
1. Prologue

Her feet were trudging in the wet dirt, each impact with the soiled earth sending a shiver up her spine. She had finally stopped crying, her tears now dry on her flushed cheeks.

Every step she took sent pain through her body. She wrapped her shivering arms over her bare shoulders in attempt to warm the pain in her heart.

"How could this happen?" she asked aloud as if expecting an answer.

No response came.

She clenched her mouth shut, trying to stop her chattering teeth, as her eyes scanned the surrounding area. Arizona didn't know where she was, the fear that _he _could catch her causing adrenaline to course through her veins. Her breath came out in short, raspy shakes as a light puff of white smoke escaped her lips.

The terrain became easier to walk on, grass beginning to appear, yet she still slowed her steps. Her legs were weakening as her stomach clenched, the pain still lurking in her body.

"No, no, no," she mumbled as her legs gave out on. As if on cue, a single tear fell from her eye and a loud sob broke out from her throat as her knees hit the dewy grass. Her chest heaved as she placed her head in her hands and sobbed.

The sound of water moving down a stream was heard, her clacking teeth in great contrast with the peace resonating in the dark air.

With the back of her hand, Arizona wiped her eyes. Though her vision was still somewhat foggy, she was able to have at least some grasp as to where she was.

Her eyes continued to scan the area until the**y** landed on a sharp pair of dark brown eyes, flowly brunette hair hovering over their fierce stare. Her face was illuminated by a small lantern. Arizona was confused at first, wondering what someone other than herself could be doing out there. There was nothing but a wide river, swooshing with an almost noiseless intensity that separated her from the other girl. Her confusion was short lived as recognition filled her mind.

She saw this girl before, but she couldn't place how or when. The girl's long, chocolate shaded hair and smoky brown eyes were familiar, but she wasn't able to distinguish their importance.

Arizona cleared her throat, straightening her own blonde hair out of habit.

"Who are you?" she asked. Her voice was shaky as it fell from her lips.

"What happened to _you_?" the girl countered.

Arizona winced at her tone; it was low, critical, and especially curious. Arizona still had a hard time herself understanding what happened to her. Her eyes floated down over her body for the first time since she had left the house who knows how far away; her arms were red and swollen.

"I-I-" she stuttered, her voice stopping in her throat as the memories rushed back to her.

_His large hands groped her arms, pinning them behind her back. He threw her face down on the bed, muffling her screams. She could not see, so she lifted her head to reveal her long, blonde hair masking the stenched area around her. _She chewed on her lip as her eyes fluttered back to the present

"Hey?" the girl across the river asked. Her face, still illuminated by the lantern, was on the edge of the other side now, her focus on Arizona.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, more to herself.

"Are you okay?" the girl asked. Her brows pulled together in what Arizona could only detect as concern.

Arizona imitated the motion, releasing her bottom lip as she herself pondered that question.

No. She was not okay.

She shook her head, her eyes burning as tears spilled over. "No," she said lowly. "No," she said again, loud enough for the other girl to hear.

Her tears were louder than they were just a few minutes ago. Arizona placed her hands over her face and sat there, feeling the tears fall on to her trembling fingers.

She could then hear a loud splash from the river knowing that the other girl must be crossing it. The light from the tiny lamp came closer, the bright rays leaking through the cracks in her fingers.

As she felt the foreign pair of arms wrap around her quivering form, she leaned in, embracing the one source of comfort.

She let herself go, letting all the pain she just suffered through release from her. She tried to put all of her attention on the warm person, trying her best not to think about _him. _She did not want to think of the pain he had put her through, the terrible, disgusting things he made her feel.

She felt dirty, worthless.

The other girl pulled back as if she heard her thoughts, her eyes roaming, judging Arizona's form.

"Aren't you Arizona Robbins?" the girl sounded as if she were in disbelief.

Arizona nodded at the ground, trying her best not to look the girl in the eyes. This was bad. This was very bad. If this girl were to tell anyone of the state she was in, she would surely be critisized.

"Oh," she said, her voice different from before. It sounded...judgemental? Arizona moved her eyes to look at the other girl, wondering what she thought of her.

Arizona was always concerned of what others thought of her. She had to be perfect, do nothing wrong. She had to have her hair a certain way, the right shade of lipstick applied to her lips. Her clothes couldn't be too revealing or too conservative.

She simply had to be perfect with no exceptions. Perfect and bubbly.

"Why aren't you at that party?"

Arizona's chest burned as the girl reminded her of that horrid party. Her fingers dug into her arms as she tried to protect herself.

_Don't think of it. Don't think of it. Don't think of it. _She kept internally repeating to herself.

Her eyes were shut tightly, her teeth returning to devour on her bottom lip. The light taste of rust, salt, hit her tongue in an instant. The pressure her teeth brought breaking the skin to her fragile lips.

A loud gasp came from her, another shiver racking her body. "Please," she begged. "Don't mention the party." her eyes opened, her hands flying out to almost shake the girl in desperation. "Don't mention the party," she repeated.

"Okay," Arizona's hands were tenderly pried off of the girl's shoulders.

"Don't mention the party, " she kept saying over and over again.

A/N: should I continue?


	2. Chapter 1

A/N: thought I'd post this early. thanks for the feedback:)

18 Hours Ago

A shrill alarm rang through the room.

Arizona's eyes opened slowly, the annoying ringing of her alarm clock causing her tired muscles to move from slumber. She removed her blanket from her body. The once secure fabric that blocked her vision from the blaring light, which streamed from her open window, was now strewn onto the floor.

Her eyes strained to search for the blaring irritation, her head still spinning from being jostled too quickly.

"Ugh," she moaned, easily sliding from her high raised bed.

As her hand dismissed the ear-splitting sound, Arizona ran a hand through her hair, falling crossed legged onto the floor. She shut her eyes, letting her heavy lids droop for a moment before checking to see what time it was.

"Oh my god," she groaned.

The one moment her lids were shut happened to actually be half an hour in reality. It was six thirty, and she only had about half an hour to get ready.

She bolted to her feet and ran to the bathroom. Her hands turned the knobs on, her breath coming in quick pants as her brain still tried to catch up with her body.

As she disrobed herself and stepped into the steaming shower, she whined. She hated the feeling of being rushed, and she always wanted to take time on her perfect, blonde locks. She thought about Jackson, her boyfriend while running a glob of shampoo and conditioner through her hair.

She wanted to smile, but it only faltered. He was your typical quarterback football player: strong build, magnificent smile, blue-green eyes that every woman would swoon over. Well, every woman aside from herself. Arizona just didn't feel _right _when she was around him. Every touch brought on rigidness, no comfort or ease. His strong hold didn't make her feel safe.

She was too afraid to admit her feelings towards him. The head cheerleader and quarterback were always destined to be the perfect match made in heaven. So, she threw her nerves out of the window, and put on her best smile. She would have to since her and Jackson were going to attend the annual Avery High School party thrown by one of the most popular kids in school. There would be beer, obnoxiously loud music, and _way too many _obnoxious boys.

Just thinking about it made her stomach clench.

Rinsing her hair, she shut the water off and jumped out of the shower, throwing her towel over her wet body. While working diligently to dry herself off, she brushed her teeth then stepped into her room to get her cheerleading uniform out.

It was short; the skirt barely covered her bottom and the top showed her stomach. With 'AHS' bold in a light blue on the front and a black stripe to counter it on her skirt, Arizona quickly slipped on the garments of clothing. Her fingers instantly went to her still wet hair, splitting it to braid it into two french braids.

Her eyes glanced over to look at the time. She had fifteen minutes to apply her make-up and meet Jackson outside. He was always one to be punctual.

Slipping her feet gracefully into her shoes, Arizona went back to her bathroom to put on some dark eye liner and pink lip gloss. With a beaming smile, she skipped down her stairs and snatched her back pack from the dining room table before leaving the house.

Arizona barely saw her mother; she worked what seemed to be day and night. It sometimes felt she lived alone in the big house aside from the occasional sticky note on the fridge explaining what there was to eat in the fridge. Her father was barely home anymore, his Colonel status keeping him away for months on end.

She found that her mother sitting on the porch, a cup of tea in her hands. Her nose was a rosy red, a parka draped over her small frame. Her hair was in a disarray set around her face and her eyes drooped.

"Mom!"Arizona dropped her bag as she sat next to her mother, her pale hands clasping with her mother's. "Mom, are you okay?" her voice was full of concern, her eyes still raking up and down her mother's fragile appearing body.

"Yes, I'm fine." she said whilst inhaling the heat the floated from her cup of tea. Her voice shook when she spoke, her shoulders slumping forward slightly, but enough for Arizona to notice that she wasn't well.

"Mom, you looked terrible." she tried to play it off with a smile, but it fell as her mother let out a cough. Arizona took a stronger hold of her mother as she tried to get her to her feet. "You have to go inside and rest. Did you call the office?"

"Yeah," she sniffled going along with her daughter back into the house.

Arizona's heart began to beat faster, the worry that was building making her teeth go straight to her lower lip.

"Honey, you know I hate when you do that." her mother whispered. "It's not very attractive for a lady to do that."

Arizona sighed in irritation and silently agrreed with her mother. As they both entered the house, Arizona helped her mother onto the recently bought sofa while placing her tea on the coffee table. The sofa was gorgeous: black leather that was as smooth as a child's skin, support that would make one question whether or not they should sleep in their own bed.

Arizona jogged to the hallway to get a large blanket for her mom, hurrying back as fast as she could to place the wool comforter over her mother's form. "Do you want me to stay home?" she tucked the blanket on her mother's sides. " I could still call Jackson and-"

"No," her mother cut her off. She shooed Arizona away with her right hand, the other pulling her blanket over her face. "Just go to school."

Arizona stood and kept a watchful eye on her mother for a moment.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

"Yes, Arizona," her mother groaned. "Go to school. I'll be fine. If I need you, I'll call." Arizona strained to hear her mother's blanket covered voice.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Arizona jumped when she heard her boyfriend's car horn blast through her ears. She looked over her shoulder hesitantly before looking back at her mother. "Mom, are you sure? Really, I can-"

"Go to school!" she shouted.

"Fine, jeez." Arizona rolled her eyes before flying through the door.

As she spotted her Jackson, she forced a smile onto her face, her hand grabbing her bag from the floor. She almost waltzed off of her porch, her bag being flung as she rushed to his truck.

"Hey, babe." he smirked whilst rolling down his truck's windown.

"Hey," Arizona opened the door and climbed in, thrusting her bag out of the way. Jackson took her face in between his hands and planted a chaste kiss on her lips. She held her breath for a moment, tensing at the gesture. She kissed him back with hesitancy, his minty breath sweeping over her face.

"You're a little early." Arizona stated as she pulled away. Her hands fell into her lap, blue eyes averting his stare. Jackson reached over and placed a hand over her's, the other tilting her head up to look at him. His stare was full of confusion at her lack of interest.

She didn't want him to think she wasn't into it-even though she wasn't- so she pecked him on the lips once more. "But that's okay," her stomach churned as her next words escaped her throat.. "That gives us more time to ourselves." Jackson wiggled his eyebrows.

"I like the sound of that," his voice was close to growling as his brushed his thumb over her blushing cheeks.

He placed his large lips upon hers, their kiss deepening with each passing moments. Arizona pulled back as her chest began to burn from lack of air, Jackson releasing a light moan.

"Jackson," she whined. She put on her seat belt and tried to think of anything but Jackson.

_This just didn't feel right. _

"Come on, Arizona," he pushed, twisting a piece of her blonde hair in between his fingers.

She looked outside the front windshield, her eyes glancing at him momentarily before returning back to the front. "We have to get to school, Jackson." she turned to him as her started the car. "You know I hate being late." she pursed her lips, an eyebrow raised in victory.

"So, Arizona," Jackson stepped on the gas, the truck going at a fast pace. "About tonight," every few moments, he would look at her before focusing back on the road.

Arizona fidgeted in her seat, her fingers tightly grasping the seat under her; she knew what he was going to bring up. Her stomach still twisted every time she thought about it.

"Hmm?" her teeth started to press on her lower lip, the nervous habit something she was not able to control. She practically jumped in her seat when she felt Jackson's hand wrap around her mid thigh, his hand making a circular motion.

"About tonight..." he trailed off, his hand moving up further.

"Jackson, not now." her voice was shaky, her hands moving on top of the one he had placed on her thigh. She gulped, her nerves causing her stomach to knot. "Can we please talk about it after school?" she pleaded.

Jackson stopped the truck as they arrived in the school parking lot. He quickly exited the truck and opened Arizona's door.

As she hopped out, she flattened the skirt, the warm morning air blowing across her legs. She turned on her heel, taking her bag from her boyfriend's hands and putting the straps over her shoulders. Her eyes scanned the school grounds, seeing that her three best friends were already walking in her direction.

Teddy, April and Lexie all clad in their cheerleading uniforms. Arizona laughed as they approached, Teddy tripping over her shoe and almost falling over before a worried Lexie caught her. April rolled her eyes, smiling as she shook her head.

April was the person Arizona considered herself closest to. She helped her through the good, the bad; she was her person.

She was smart enough to know, too, when April was hiding something. The past few weeks had been distant, especially when they would double date with their boyfriends. She tried to talk to her, but April would just brush the subject aside and leave.

"Arizona!" Teddy and Lexie said in unison before hugging her quickly.

"Hey, girls," she beamed. The two pulled away, white teeth glistening from the shining sun. Arizona looked over to see April with her head down.

"April?"

Her eyes widened momentarily before she embraced Arizona. The hug was tighter than necessary, Arizona struggling to breath for a moment until April pulled away.

The school's bell rang loudly, all four girls flinching in surprise and laughing at each other.

"I'll see you later, okay?" Jackson said pecking Arizona on the lips before leaving. "Bye ladies," he waved to the other girls, all of them swooning as he left.

Arizona looked around, seeing the various cliques spread around the school's main campus.

"Look at those freaks," Lexie sneered pointing to a trio of stoners.

They all had on dark clothes, one of them smoking in wide sight. Arizona's brows meshed together in confusion; how could they just do activities like that without fear? Didn't they care about what people thought of them? Weren't they sick of being outcasts.

"Ew," Teddy and April said at the same time. "They're gross," April continued on.

Arizona looked at them, pouting. How could they they be so mean?

"Guys, that's not cool." Arizona stated looking back at the trio.

Her eyes fixated on the girl with the leather jacket. Her brown hair that hung in waves past and over her shoulders, eyes that shone as she spoke to the red head next to her. Arizona could feel her chest swell, but it wasn't the same as when she was with Jackson. She swallowed, breathing deeply as her eyes trailed down the brunette's fish net covered legs.

The guy smoking tapped the brunette one on the shoulder and pointed to Arizona. Arizona tried to turn away, realizing that she had been caught staring. She blushed, and turned back to her friends.

"Yeah, you're right," Lexie said. "Uncool." her pink lip gloss stained lips puckered, her head titling to the side. .

Arizona internally sighed, her legs moving towards the school. "Come on," she looked over her shoulder at April, Lexie and Teddy. "You guys know I hate being late." her dad raising her on a schedule did have it perks and downfalls.

The four of them adjusted them selves into a line, hooking arms as they placed smiles upon their faces and walked into the building.

Along with being best friends, they all had the same classes together. Arizona often thought that was the work of April, who was one of the richest people in this town. Everyone knew that; she didn't let anyone forget that fact.

Her father was the mayor and her mother was a part of the Republican party, so April had everything she wanted.

As the four of them entered the large building, many of the students seemed to part out of their way. One could say that these four, nearly perfect girls, ruled the school. They were the most popular; all the girls wanted to be them, and all the guys wanted them.

Arizona was on the far right of the line, her hand placed on her hip in a diva like motion.

"Move out of the way losers!" April's voice was close to yelling, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she joked.

Arizona let out an audible sigh, unhooking her arm from April's. "What is your problem?" she grabbed April by the arm, spinning her around.

"My problem?" she pointed to herself, her voice in a shocked tone.

"Yes." Arizona's face fell, her arm gesturing to everyone around them as she continued. "You're being very rude."

"I'm only kidding around, Arizona." she swiveled back around to face the others. "You guys know I'm only joking, right?"

They nodded quickly.

Arizona crossed her arms, disgust written all over her face. "I thought we were going to be different this year?"

"We are." April said. "We aren't juniors anymore. We aren't losers. We rule this place, and no one can change that." She raised a perfectly plucked brow, her pink glossed lips sparkling. "Are you coming to class with us or not?"

Arizona was stumped. She didn't want to be a part of a group led by someone who she was beginning to question as her best friend. What happened to April that caused her to act like this? She used to be full of so much happiness.

"Well?" April began walking back, hands pointing to her watch.

Arizona sighed, her arms falling in defeat at her sides. She didn't want to risk her reputation by fighting with her friend in front of everyone. She hated feeling like she didn't fit in with her friends anymore.

She didn't want to be an outcast. The thought of not being accepted scared her.

"I'm coming," she said tightening the straps of her back pack.

April hugged her quickly before joining the other girls. "Let's go! You don't want to be late, do you?"

Arizona internally growled, her legs shaking out of guilt as she hooked her arms with Lexie this time. The four of them continued to strut down the hall, entering their first period class, mathematics, with pure swagger.

Teddy looked around the room in pure awe, her mouth falling open as she examined all of the math posters and saying displayed along the room. "Wait, what class is this?"

Lexie giggled, April rolling her eyes as she took a seat in the back of the room.

"It's Calculus, Teddy." Arizona told her as she took a seat next to April.

"Calculus?" Teddy laughing and scratched her head for a moment before sitting in front of Arizona. "How did I get into this class? You guys know I suck at math."

How did she? Arizona thought, her eyes instantly darting to April. She really could do whatever she wanted.

Lexie took a seat next to Arizona, her bag falling harshly onto the floor.

"You okay?"

"Yeah," Lexie sighed, her head falling onto her palm. "I don't really want to talk about it." she muttered whilst flipping her notebook open. She scribbled something angrily into her notebook.

"Are you sure? We can-" Arizona was interupted as the teacher's voice boomed into the room.

"Hello class." the teacher entered the class room, his hand grabbing the nearest marker he could find as he wrote his name onto the board. "I'm Mr. Dane, and I will be your math teacher for you senior year of high school."

He was short and wide, his forehead already covered with beads of sweat. His pants were beige and baggy, his blue shirt too tight as it clung to his flappy arms.

As he turned towards the class, April scoffed, her hand flying to her mouth as she tried to contain her laughter.

Mr. Dane looked at her, his hand slowly putting the marker down. "What is your name, Miss?" Arizona cringed as she saw spit gather on his upper lip.

"April. April Kepner." she batted her mascara caked eyelashes, her lips curving upward.

"And what do you find so amusing, Miss Kepner?"

"Nothing, sir," she tilted her head to the side. "Nothing at all."

Callie

Her chest burned, her lungs inhaling the hot smoke from the bud lit by her mouth. Her lips were firmly holding the blunt in place, her fingers reaching to remove it as she struggled to hold the air in as long as she could.

She coughed loudly, the smoke coating the air in front of her.

Mark, her best friend, started chuckling next to her. His short, brown hair was covered with a black beanie, eyes blocked by a pair of black sunglasses. He had a bottle of clear liquor in his hand, his arm extending out to Callie.

"Want some?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Nah." she coughed again as she handed Mark the blunt. "Dude, we gotta get ready for school." she coughed and wheezed one final time before getting up to head to her bathroom.

"Come on Cal, let's skip today."

She peered over her shoulder at him, her eyes rolling. "Mark, we can't miss anymore school this early in the year."

"We're seniors! Fuck school!" he cackled, throwing his head back.

"You're drunk," Callie said with a slight accent, shutting the bathroom door.

She went to her sink, her tan fingers, painted with black nail polish, as she grabbed her tube of mascara. Her mirror, stained from various things over the years, gave her little room anymore to see her face.

Callie's hair was a dark brown mixed with shades of chesnut and chocolate. It was long, the thick waves reaching the middle of her back. As she applied the black mascara to her dark eyelashes, her brown eyes seemed to pop. Her face had no blemishes, the only things on it being the piercings that were placed on her right eyebrow and a tiny stud in her nose.

When she applied the mascara to her eyes, her hand automatically reached for her black eyeliner. She swiped the mirror before doing so, her breath fogging up the area she needed to see.

"Callie, what the hell are you doing in there?" his voice frightened her, the lead pencil falling down into the sink.

"Mark!" she screeched, her cheeks flushing red in anger. "You made me drop my fucking make-up!" Her hands were balled into fists as she burst out of the bathroom.

"Dude, calm down. Don't you have any more?" his hands were raised and his eyes were as wide as a deer who had been caught in headlights.

"No. I'm broke, and that was my last pencil." she turned on her heel, slamming the bathroom door right behind her as she sat on the toilet. Her hands covered her face, tears full of rage and sadness brimming on the edges of her eyes.

This week had just been hell.

Her mother was in the hospital; again. But it was so much worse than all the other times. He was worse.

Callie's hands dug into her face, painfully, as she tried not to remember. Her family was falling apart, her parents hating her since she came out last year. Her father had taken it the worst, sending Callie's sister Aria away to boarding school so she wouldn't have to witness Callie's "sin" filled lifestyle.

"Callie! Look, I'm sorry," she was startled again, her hands falling atop of her legs.

"Don't worry about it." her words came out low, a large lump making it hard for her to talk. "I'll be out in a second." she said louder.

She stoop up quickly, going straight to the mirror to check her eyes. There were no smudges, but her eyes were glossed over and a little red.

"Good enough," she mumbled.

She fixed her black, leather jacket, straightening her skirt over and making sure her boots were clean.

"Mark, you ready?" she asked as she opened the bathroom door slowly. He set the bottle down on her desk, his hands adjusting his beanie.

"Yeah. You driving?"

Callie gave him a look and said, "Por supuesto, you idiot." her accent was thick with a sly smile.

"You know I don't speak Spanish." Mark punched her arm lightly.

"That's why I speak it. I find it hilarious."

Callie snatched her car keys from the hanger on her door, and twirled them around her fingers. She heard heavy footsteps that were neither her's or Mark's.

Her heart skipped a beat.

She could hear her father mumbling something into his phone in the kitchen, his voice loud and obviously upset with something.

Callie halted her steps, Mark bumping into her.

"Crap," her hands wrapped around her car keys tighter. "I didn't know my dad was here."

"Is that a problem...?" Mark tried to look past her to see her dad.

"Stop!" she whispered loudly, elbowing him in the stomach. "You fucking moron. My dad can't see you here!" she spun around, staring at Mark with panic written across her face. "If he finds out you're here, he'll-"

"I'll do what?" her father's voice ran through her ears, her heart dropping into her stomach. Callie spun around on her heel to look at her father."Who is this?" he questioned shoving his phone into the front pocket of his grey suit.

His eyes, much like hers, were blazing with a hidden fury. His bald head shining from the light in the hall way. Callie and Mark gulped audibly at the same time, fear in both of their eyes.

"Mark, remember? I've known him since I was like, ten." her voice shook somewhat, her hands burning as she couldn't help putting more pressure on her keys.

Her dad looked at him. "What were you two doing in there just now?" his eyes remained on Mark's.

"Nothing." she stepped into her father's line of vision. "Nothing I swear."

He looked at her, his small eyes shrinking even more. "Are you going to school?"

"I was about to."

"Are you coming home afterwards?" his eyes dartred back to Mark.

"No, I-" she stopped herself. She almost admitted to him that she was going to see her mother in the hospital. If he found out, however, he would never let her go. He didn't want her to see her mother. She thought of a lie on the spot, the fib graciously falling from her lips. "I'm studying with Addison after school. If that's okay?" she shoved her hands into her jacket's pocket, dropping her keys as the pain in her hand became unbearable.

"Addison?" he looked back at her.

"She's my friend. How don't you know her? She comes here all the time."

Addison was Callie's best girl friend. They had known eachother since freshmen year in high school, and they just hit it off. The only thing different about the two, was that Addison wasn't into the drug scene. She didn't smoke pot or drink; she said it wouldn't help her to become a doctor.

Yeah, bummer.

Addison always told Callie how messed up she was going to be if she kept this habit up. She wanted her to be healthy; not eat McDonald's everyday and drink when she got home.

"Fine," he dismissed her with the wave of his hand as he pulled his cell phone from his pocket.

Callie glared as she marched out of the house and into her brown station wagon. As she slammed the door closed, Mark got in next to her, laughing hard with tears coming out of his eyes.

"What is so fucking funny?" she whipped her head at him, her teeth pressed down together.

"You still didn't tell your dad that you're the biggest dike in school? Wow," he slapped his knee, Callie shoving the keys into the ignition.

"Oh, he knows." she rolled her eyes. "He has just been a little," she shook her head. "Preoccupied these days."

He had been calling lawyer upon lawyer every hour of every day since the break in. Callie shivered, hands shaking as she thought of her mother.

It was all her fault her mother was in the hospital.

She swallowed back her tears as she drove down the perfect looking street. If only people knew what went on behind each closed door.

"Why did you want to leave so early for school? It's only six thirty." Mark interupted her thoughts, her mind finally refocusing on the present.

"I just needed to get out of the house." she scanned the area as they got closer to Addison's house. "Text Addison for me, will 'ya?" she asked as she pulled up into her driveway.

Callie brought her now trembling fingers to her hair and played with a stray strand.

"Dude, are you okay?" Mark put a hand on her shoulder in comfort.

She wanted to scream and shout no. She so badly wanted to confess to Mark what happened to her mother. She wanted to tell someone how much pain her father caused her and her mother with his cruel words. She wanted to tell Mark how sad she was, how much she just wanted to...end it.

But she couldn't form a single word. She could only nod in response.

"Look, I know you. Something's up." his hand remained on her shoulder, and he began making small circles with his thumb.

She kept her eyes in front of her on the steering wheel.

_Just tell him, _she thought. _Tell someone, _her mind nagged her.

"I-" her words remained in her throat as her door flung open.

"Do you have any idea how early it is?" Addison complained as she climbed across Callie to head to the back seat.

Callie cleared her throat, forcing her mood to shift so that Addison couldn't detect a problem. One friend being concerned, especially that person being Mark, was enough.

"Shut the fuck up and be grateful I'm giving you a ride." a fake smile came to her face as she turned to look at her friend.

"Excuse me?" Addison's voice was in mock tone.

"Um, I said shut the fuck up!" Callie mimicked the tone.

The two usually did this when they play fought. They would make fun of the cheerleaders, using their accent and choice of -what they considered to be stupid-words. They would increase the pitch of their tone, and make them sound unattractive.

"Why do you even mock them, Callie?"

Callie looked back at the road, already knowing where this conversation was headed. She put the station wagon back into drive, and went into the direction of the school. Her hands gripped the wheel tight, her eyes occasionally darting to her rear view mirror to see the joy on Addison's face.

~~~o~~~

The three best friends stood by the school building, Mark smoking a cigarette in plain sight. Callie constantly kept looking at the smoke that blew from his nose and mouth, her fingers itching to grasp the odor packed product.

"Do you want one?" Mark offered, his head lazily rolling in her direction.

Callie wiggled her nose, every breath she took in fogging her thoughts.

She didn't want to think of her father, but now wasn't the best time to commit acts she would surely regret later. Her hair fell into her eyes, momentarily distracting her from the thing she wanted most.

"Ugh," she groaned, her hands gripping her face. "I hate him so fucking much!" she whined.

"I don't think she needs one right now," Addison reprimanded, putting an encouraging hand on Callie's shoulder.

Callie pulled the sleeves of her jacket down, her eyes scanning the school grounds. Her nerves were going haywire, and the slow build up of students loitering the school grounds made her irritated.

"The cheerleaders are here," Mark announced lowly.

Callie moved her eyes as secretly as she could to find them. As much as she acted like she hated those snot nosed, spoiled bitches, she couldn't help but bask in their beauty.

Especially Arizona Robbins. Her smile, it was like magic. Her eyes would light up, the blue pools sparkling. Her dimples that were set perfectly into blushed cheeks...

Callie scoffed, kicking out his foot and mumbling hate filled words towards them. "Why are you so obsessed with them?" he asked taking a long pull from his cigarette.

"You mean she's obsessed with the amazing Arizona."Addison and Mark laughed, Callie punching Mark.

Callie could feel her face heat up, shrinking back against the concrete wall. "Silencio," she hissed.

"Whatever you said, I'm sure it had something to do with her. Oh! Look, Callie. She's looking at you." he tapped her shoulder.

"Huh?" she moved her whole head this time, not caring if anyone saw her. When she spotted Arizona, a smile crept onto her lips. Her long, blonde hair was in the cutest pigtails that fell past her shoulders. Her lips were shining and her uniform clinging to her so-

"Awe!" Addison stepped in front of Callie's line of vision, a bright smile on her face. "You are so cute crushing on the little cheerleader!" Addison could barely keep a straight face, her nose scrunching up.

"Shut up!" Callie covered her face to muffle her squeals.

"We better get to class before the late bell rings." Addison's laughter continued as she took Callie's hands and pulled her inside the school's building

"Yeah. It's not like we could get in anymore trouble." Mark said sarcastically.

"Because almost two weeks into school and having a warning for smoking on school property isn't bad enough." Addison frowned at Mark.

A/N: thoughts?


	3. Chapter 2

Arizona

As the final bell of the day rung, Arizona waltzed into the girl's lockeroom. The sound of running showers and laughter was heard as she walked straight up to her designated locker. She opened the locker, her reflection staring back at her with wide eyes. Her lip gloss was still shining like it had when she applied it, not a single hair from her head escaping her flawless pigtails.  
"Okay girls!" she shouted. "Practice in five minutes! Be ready!" her high, soprano voice echoing through out the locker room.  
"So," Lexie appeared next to her, straigthening out her uniform. "You going to Mark's tonight?"  
Mark Sloan. Yes, that was his name. He was one of the richest kids at their school, for reasons unknown. This would be the first time anyone would appear at his house. No one knew what to expect. There were many rumors, however, of what would be there.  
The usual booze, outdoor and indoor pool, loud music.  
But there was talk that he had no parents, and that he lived with dozens of models. Of course, there were the jocks who believed every word that kid sputtered, but Arizona knew better than to believe any of that nonsense.  
Mark Sloan didn't hang with the popular kids, but he sure knew his way around them.  
"Of course," she replied with a smile on her lips. "Tonight might, you know," she shut her locker, leaning against it. "Tonight might be the night." she whispered.  
"Ooh! Are you serious?" Lexie leaned in closer.  
"I think so." Arizona rolled her lips, her stomach clenching and churning as a pang of fear spread through it.  
Lexie worked her hands through her hair, the straight locks going up into a bun.  
"Are you going with anyone?" Arizona asked as her and Lexie left the locker rooms into the hot air outside.  
"Well," she looked down at the ground. "That's what I wanted to talk to-"  
"Arizona!" April pushed in between the two, taking the middle place. She shot a brow up, smirking at Lexie before almost nudging her away. "Listen, I have to leave practice early today."  
"April, you know how important this practice is." Arizona shifted her eyes to a now stunned and still Lexie. "The football game is next week and we're facing our rivals." she could already feel the knots in her stomach build as she thought about it.  
"You know I know the routines already. I have stuff to do." she wasn't looking at Arizona anymore, but wiggling her fingers at someone in the opposite direction.  
Arizona sighed, waving her hand. "Fine. I'll tell coach you're not feeling your best."  
"Great! Thanks!" she pecked Arizona on both cheeks before joining the other girls who where ready a few yards ahead.  
"Why do we bother with her?" Lexie asked with a frown.  
Arizona bit her lip, about to speak, before she heard very loud panting. Teddy was running over, her blonde locks flailing behind her. "Wait, girls!" she shouted.  
Arizona laughed before returning her focus back on Lexie. "I'm serious. Ever since school started back up, April's been nothing but a bitch."  
"She hasn't been that bad." Arizona wanted to defend her, but she knew Lexie was right.  
"Whatever." The both of them looked over at April who was showing off a flip. "I'm done with her. When she screws you over don't come crying to me." she walked away, bumping into Arizona as she stormed off.  
"Oh my gosh, it's so hot!" Teddy panted, hands on her knees.  
Arizona didn't smile, her eyes glistening in hurt as she looked at Lexie. "Alright guys," she could hear her voice crack as she struggled to keep her emotions in tact. "Get in formation!

~~~~~~~o~~~~~~~

Arizona pulled the blue ribbons from her hair, her long, blonde locks cascading down her shoulders. She grabbed her back pack from her locker, and checked her make-up once again before leaving the humid room.  
"Arizona," she heard Lexie call her.  
She paused, mid step, her eyes shutting tightly. She just wanted to get out of here and get her ride from Jackson; she couldn't bear to look at Lexie. What she said was completely uncalled for, and her breath hitched as she feared the conversation that would soon arise.  
"Hmm?" she turned on her heel, looking at the ground when opening her eyes instead of her dear friend.  
"Look," she sighed, her voice laced with hurt. "I'm sorry about what I said earlier. I'm just," she took a deep breath.  
Arizona raised her eyes slowly, seeing that Lexie was not the only one avoiding the other's gaze.  
"Hey," Arizona could see that Lexie was upset about something, but she wasn't quite sure what.  
That still did not excuse her for the way she acted towards her. It isn't like she was the one who treated her so badly. All Arizona did was try to help her. If it wasn't for her, April would have thrown her out of the group a while ago.  
She was the only one who bothered talking to her last year. She didn't deserve the anger that was growing in ferocity at her because of April. Arizona bit her lip, moving closer in front of Lexie and putting a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Why don't you come to my place? Do you have your clothes with you?"  
Lexie shook her head. "No," she looked at Arizona, a small smile appearing on her face. "Can we stop at my place real quick? I just," she took another breath. "I really need to talk to you. April won't listen and Teddy..." she didn't finish, the both of them already thinking the same thing.  
"Sure. That's fine. Let me tell Jackson to wait a sec, okay?" her smile grew wider, dimples popping out and her hand falling off of Lexie's shoulder as she began to back away out of the room.  
"Yeah. I'll see you in a few."  
Arizona was already out of the room, the hot sun stunning her for a moment. The shock intensified as a pair of large arms encircled around her, spinning her in the air. Her feet dangled momentarily in mid air before touching the ground. Her heart stuttered as she was met with momentary shock.  
"Jackson!" she squealed. When he spun her around to face him, she pushed him playfully.  
"Hey, babe." he leaned down to kiss her on the lips.  
She grinned under their locked lips, his minty breath brushing across her face. She pushed him away again, a light giggle filling the space between them. She didn't didn't know how much longer she could handle this. She loved him, she truly did...just not the way Jackson wanted her to.  
His arms were still on her hips, his fingers moving across her exposed skin.  
"Do you mind if Leixe comes with us? I invited her over."  
Jackson let go of her, his nose flaring slightly, eyes narrowing. "You invited her without asking me?" his deep voice entered her ears scarily. For a moment, Arizona was stunned at his tone of voice, the way it sent bad shivers down her back. How it made the hairs on the back of her neck stand straight.  
"Is that a problem?" she tilted her head to the side, her hands almost slamming onto her waist, her foot tapping loudly.  
His eyes softened, the blue-green sparkling as he adjusted his tone. "I just don't have that much gas left and I don't have any money."  
Arizona scoffed. "Didn't you just get paid yesterday?"  
"I bought something."  
"What did you buy?"  
"Well that's for you to find out later."  
"Later?" Arizona's foot stopped it's dance, her head moving to the other side in question. "What did you buy?"  
Crap what did he buy?  
"It's a surprise."  
Before Arizona could ask again, she heard the locker room's door shut, Lexie stepping out with her tote bag slung over her shoulder. She was busying herself with finding something, obviously hearing the dispute Arizona and Jackson were just in.  
Lexie stopped, laughing in embaressment before walking past them. "Don't mind me. I'm just," she looked at Arizona knowingly. "You know what? I'll just walk home." she decided. She nodded in departure at the both of them, her brown eyes glossed over.  
Arizona could see the sadness in them, and she honeslty wanted to talk to Lexie, see what was bothering her. Something really had to be wrong for Lexie to be acting this way, and it was scaring her.  
"Lex," Arizona said lowly, not knowing if her friend could hear her.  
"It looks like Lexie has other plans." Jackson took Arizona's hand, pulling her in the direction of his truck. The black toyota stood out compared to the much smaller cars surrounding it.  
Arizona followed him hesitanlty, her mind still set on her friend until she shrieked from being flipped over Jackson's shoulder.  
"Jackson! Put me down!" she whined in a way a child would when they didn't get their way. Her hands in tight fists as she punched the air.  
"Arizona, calm down. You're being too overdramatic today." he opened the passenger door, carefully setting her down before sliding over his truck and getting in on the other side. As soon as his door shut, he moved closer to her, his lips finding hers almost instantly.  
She moaned in distaste -though Jackson her it differently- against his mouth before remembering what they were recently discussing. She forced her lips away, her fingers trailing over his shaven head, forehead mashed up against his.  
"So what did you buy? Is it for me?" she whispered, a blush rising in her cheeks. She really was excited. Arizona liked presents, though she hated being surprised.  
"Like I said before. It's a surprise," he placed his large hands atop of hers, unthreading her fingers from his scalp as he started the truck.  
"Awe, come on," Arizona pouted, her lower lip jutting out in a puppy dog fashion. "Please, tell me." she climbed over the gear shift, her arms wrapping around his neck as she sat on his lap. "Please, pretty please." the pout grew making it harder for Jackson to resist her and for Arizona not to laugh in victory.  
"Well, it was supposed to be special. But I guess now is a good time." he huffed reaching around her to pull something out of the glove box. "Close your eyes," he said.  
Arizona removed her arms from around him, her fingers flying to her eyes. As darkness took over, she focused on her sense of hearing, trying to decipher what he had by sound.  
There was a pop and a jingle, like jewelery.  
Ooh, she thought to herself. She loved jewelery.  
"Okay," he said.  
Arizona dropped her hands as quickly as she could, her eyes darting to find the gift.  
It was a golden necklace, a diamond football charm hanging off of it.  
"Wow," she was speechless. She didn't know if she liked it or not. Yes, she supported her boyfriend in his choice of career, but she really was not the biggest fan of football. He knew that she hated football, so why would he buy her this. "It's beautiful." she said honestly. Even though she hated football, she had to admit that the charm was stunning.  
"It's so that everyone knows you're mine." his voice was hard, almost replicating the way he spoke when she asked about Lexie riding with them.  
Arizona moved her hair up as Jackson clicked it into place around her neck. Her brows furrowed in confusion. Her heart was beating fast, guilt and fear leaking from the necklace and into her skin. "Everyone knows that I'm yours already, though. You threaten any guy that comes near me," she laughed nervously.  
The familiar pressure on her bottom lip arised when she noticed she was biting it again.  
She really had to stop that horrid habit.  
"I know. But, I never buy you anything. So, this proves how much I love you." he didn't look her in the eye when he said it, and that made Arizona frown.  
"You love me?" she asked with no emotion, her hands balling up the ends of her skirt.  
"Yeah," he still didn't look at her. "Buckle-up. I still have to drop you off at home so you can get ready."  
~~~o~~~  
As she finished curling the ends of her hair, Arizona stared at her form on her wall length mirror. She had on a loose red shirt that tightened at her waist with a floral skirt that reached her mid thigh. Her feet were clad in a pair of matching floral flats, her legs shining and smooth.  
Her hands moved to her slightly exposed chest to play with the chain hanging off of her neck. She shivered as the cold chain bumped her skin, her teeth biting her lip with anxious nerves.  
Was she really ready for tonight? Yes, she loved Jackson, she really did, but something just did not feel...right.  
She shook her head, releasing the charm and reaching for her make-up bag so she could finish getting ready. With shaky hands, she applied her eye liner and red lipstick, a light blush rising in her cheeks.  
Her tan arm set down her beauty products, her hands making a final run through her flowing locks. She left her room, grabbing her red clutch whilst shutting off her lights.  
As she walked down the steps to her living room, she glanced at her watch to see that she still had about twently minutes before Jackson showed up.  
"Arizona," jumped in surprise when she heard her mother's voice.  
Arizona sat down on the chair across from her mother, twiddling with her fingers.  
"Where are you going?" her mother's voice was strained, her eyes had massive bags under them.  
"Remember that party I told you about?" Arizona scolded herself in her head, knowing full well that she forgot to inform her mother about this party.  
It was time to use her skills as a cheerleader, and smile her way through the situation.  
"What party?" her mother coughed, her hands pulling the blanket closer to her face.  
"The first party of the school year; Jackson's taking me, remember?" she kept eye contact with her mother, trying her best to put on her most convincing face. "I told you about it before I went to bed last night. You said I could go."  
Her mother's brows meshed together in confusion, her face revealing how badly she wanted to remember. "I don't remember you asking me anything about a party."  
"Well I told you. You must have forgotten. You aren't really in the best shape right now." she reminded her.  
"Hmm, maybe," she coughed again and sniffled. "Okay. Just call me once an hour and be back before midnight." she hid under the covers, blocking her daughter from futher seeing her sick state.  
A knock at the door sounded, Arizona sprung to her feet.  
"I'll call you in an hour," she said waving her phone in the air behind her.  
"Have fun, sweetie." her mother groaned.  
Arizona held herself back from rolling her eyes as she opened the front door. Jackson stood before her, a small smile on his face with outstretched arms in front of him.  
"Hey, babe." he pulled her into him, shutting the door behind her. He put his mouth to her neck, kissing her gently before taking her hand. "You ready?"  
"Yeah," she shivered for what must have been the hundreth time today.  
Hopefully tonight was going to be amazing, she thought as she took his hand.

Callie

"Mark, you're not seriously throwing this party are you? My dad is going to kill you." She looked to her right to see her sister Aria. She had just flown in from boarding school a few hours ago. She was supposed to be visiting their mother, but apparently she had other plans as of late.  
Callie was at the threshold of her sister's room. It was spotless: high tech gear all over her desk, her futon bed made perfectly, posters of hot guys on the walls. Her light voice went through the room as she sang along to a song she was listening to through his headphones.  
To Callie, Aria was the most annoying thing on this planet.  
Especially when her and Mark got together to throw parties like they were tonight.  
All he did all day was sit in front of his computer, smoke pot, and have random girls in Callie's room and it pissed her off.  
Of course his money -that he was blowing on this party- didn't come from his crap family. He made the majority of his money selling drugs and other stuff she didn't know about.  
She knew about the drugs because she bought them from him. She had to admit that he had a good supply.  
When he didn't reply, she knew that she had to get his full attention. She stepped fully into her sister's room, slamming the door with a bang. They fell back in their chairs, earbuds flailing about as they fell to the ground.  
"Mark, Aria," she shoved her hands into the front pocket of her black, leather jacket. "Why are you throwing a party?" The two idiots were still recovering from their fall, Callie doing her best not to laugh at them. She continued to speak when he got back into his chair and faced the computer to type. "Dad isn't going to like that." She looked pointedly at her sister.  
"Dad isn't going to do shit." She finished typing something on her computer before swiveling around to face her.  
"If he finds out-"  
"And how will he find out? Are you going to cry to him?" She got up from his chair and stood directly in front of her, her brown eyes blaring at her.  
"No." she sucked her teeth. "But you know how he is."  
Mark was still on the ground, awkwardly observing the siblings bantering.  
Aria's face softened a little, eyes darting to the ground. "How's mom?"  
"I'm about to go see her." she said. "When does the party start?"  
"Nine." She mumbled going back to her computer.  
"I'll be back by then."  
"Tell mom I said hi." She asked.  
"Okay," Callie went to leave his room, but Mark stopped her before she could shut his door.  
"He's a fucking bastard." he growled. "The next time I see him, I'm going to kill him."  
Callie's mouth fell open, shock at his words striking her in the chest. She looked straight to her sister, Aria being the only one Callie had told -she was her sister of course she told her- about what happened to their mother.  
She couldn't believe Aria would tell someone, let alone Mark.  
Callie tightened her grip on the door knob, her heart beating quicker. "Mark..." She had a bad feeling that he already knew what he was going to do. Did he already plan how he would...deal...with her father? He was so protective of her and her mother. Mark was always there for them, and would stand up to anyone who would make fun of or scold her.  
He was her best friend.  
But, she was afraid that he would actually kill him.  
"The next time I see him. I swear." he whispered so lowly Callie could barely hear him.  
It had been four days since the "robbery." Mark -for once in his life- was at a his own house when it happened and hadn't seen her dad. At least until this morning.  
"Mark, you can't do that." Callie knew that if he did something, she would be on her own. She couldn't face that. Her father would be dead, her mother in the hospital for who knows how long, and her best friend in prison. She didn't think Aria would stick around to watch it all fall apart.  
There would be nobody left. Callie looked over her shoulder, hand still on the knob, as she saw Mark shaking with fury.  
"Watch me." He looked at her with rage, his face red, before shutting the door for her.

~~~o~~~

She stood outside of her mother's room on the third floor. It was where all the patients in critical condition were placed. The smell of cleaning products and sadness wafted through the air.  
It was scary how both familiar and terrifying this place was.  
Her hands were balled into fists as she was met with her mother's form. He beautiful, brown hair was gone, a white bandage wrapped around her skull. A tube escaped from her nose, her skin so pale, barely darker than the white sheets she was covered with.  
Callie's hand unconciously went onto the door's clear glass, her breath fogging the view in front of her.  
"Excuse me, Miss?"  
Callie wiped the glass with her sleeve, sighing in vexation. "Yes?" she faced the person, a nurse. "Sorry," she held out her hand. "I'm the daughter of Mrs. Torres." she said.  
"Oh," her eyes flashed to her mother's chart hanging off of the wall. "Pardon me," she ignored Callie's outstretched hand, her fingers taking hold of the paperwork.  
Callie strained to keep her temper under control, anger passing through her quickly as she saw her mother from the corner of her eye. She was so close to her, but so far away.  
"Are you aware that visiting hours will be ending soon, Miss?" she put the papers back in place and walked into her mother's room.  
"Yes," she said following the woman into her mother's room. "Are you able to make an exception? I am her daughter and the only family visiting her today." she walked faster as she spoke, racing to her mother's side. She took her mother's hand in her's and tried to ignore the tubes that connected to the top of her hand.  
Her breath hitched, the tears hard to hold back as guilt filled the pit of her stomach.  
"I'm sorry, but I am not authorized to give you permission for that." the nurse fiddled with some of the wires and checked her mother's stats. She made no eye contact with Callie as of yet.  
Callie let go of her mother's hands and shoved her own into her pants pockets, clenching and unclenching her fingers into fists of anger.  
"Have a nice evening," the nurse said whilst leaving the room.  
"You too," Callie whispered.  
She pulled one of the lounge chairs next to her mother's, the squeal it made causing her mother to stir.  
"Mama?" Callie moved faster, taking her mother's hand again.  
"Callie?" her mother's accent was thick, her tone hoarse.  
"Tienen se?" Are you thirsty, she asked her mother.  
She simply nodded, Callie opening the small bag she brought with her to get a water bottle.  
"Here." she took of the cap, slowly draining some of the water past her mother's lips.  
"Gracias,"  
She took the water away, tears brimming over her eyes. "Mama, I'm so sorry." a sob erupted from her throat, her head falling onto her mother's chest. Her tears fell onto her mother's bed sheets, the soft cotton failing to absorb her sadness from her wet cheeks.  
"Mama, I have to tell the police the truth."  
Her mother removed the beanie from her head, her fingers lightly playing with her hair. The constant beeping from her mother's heart increased in tempo as she processed her daughter's words.  
"No, no, no." the beeping continued to escalate.  
Callie moved from her mother's side, her hands shuffling over her. "Mama, don't worry. Please, please. I have to or else Mark will do something stupid."  
"Qué?"  
"Mark said that he would kill dad the next time he saw him."  
She watched as her mother struggled to speak. "Mark would not d-do that." her English was slurred, her accent over powering.  
"Mama, he was serious. After what he did to you-"  
"Your papa did nothing."  
Callie could hear the doubt in her mother's voice. She was barely able to convince herself.  
"Stop lying, mama. I saw it this time. Why are you still covering for him?"  
"Yo no te entiendo." I don't understand you, she said.  
"Yes you can. Mama, please. Would you rather papa be in jail or six feet underground?"  
Her mother gasped, a silence filling the room for a moment as her heart stuttered.  
"Leave." her brown eyes shut, her head turning away from her daughter.  
"Fine." Callie got up, pushing the chair back against the wall. "If you won't make the choice, I will. Papa returns home in two days." she ran to the door, the pain in her chest burning and controlling her thoughts. "Te amo," she murmured as she slipped out of the hospital room.  
When she got onto the elevator, she sank to her knees, screaming at the top of her lungs as the transporter took her to the ground. Her cheeks were red and hot, black stained tears falling off of her chin to the marble floor.  
She coughed, her yells halting as she fought to catch her breath.  
How could her mother defend him? She was in a coma because of him! He almost beat her to death and her mother still denied what he did. How could she be so ignorant? How could she support what he does when it does nothing but hurt the family?  
She hated her father so much. She didn't think she had as much anger towards him than anyone else. He didn't deserve her mother. He didn't deserve anything.  
Maybe she should just let Mark do whatever he wanted.  
She shook her head, wiping her face and exhaling labored breaths as the elevator doors dinged open.  
"Ma'am, are you okay?" Callie still remained on the floor, her eyes rising to see an elderly woman staring down at her.  
"Yes," she got up on trembling legs, brushing past her. "I'm fine, thank you."  
~~~o~~~  
She shut the front door to her house slowly, her breaths coming in harsh pants. Her eyes, darting every which way, were searching. She were searching for the only thing she knew would be able to calm her nerves, settle her down for at least some time.  
"Mark! Aria!" she called out for them, sauntering into her sister's room as her mind still remained at the hospital. Thoughts of her mother so helpless, fragile, wracked her brain. How could someone so innocent, unable to hurt a fly, be treated so horrendously?  
Callie felt hot, her palms sweating and her ears burning. As she smelled the familiar scent of smoke from her sister's room, she took a deep breath. A temporary calmness spread through her chest, her lungs, and her fingers delicately brushed over the doorknob that led to his room.  
"Mark! Aria!" she called for them again.  
When no response came, she twisted the knob, a gush of polluted air hitting her. She coughed, covering her nose and waved her hands in front of him.  
Mark was in his chair by Aria's bed, his body swiveling to face her while he blew smoke from his mouth. "How's mom?" Aria asked inhaling more of the blunt she held.  
Callie swallowed, the lie falling swiftly from her lips. "She's fine. She's doing much better." the latter of the statement was true; she was indeed doing better.  
"You didn't tell her, did you?" Mark questioned.  
Callie swayed on her feet, her thoughts filling with images of her mother's face. The terror that filled her eyes, the way her lips quivered with fear.  
"No," she lied again.  
Of course she told her mother what her best friend had planned. Wouldn't anyone do that? She wanted her mother to have a choice in the matter. If it were up to Callie or Aria, their father would cease to be on this planet in a second.  
Callie's mother was her world. She protected her from all the things her father did, exposed her music. Oh, the amount of joy Callie had for writing music, singing. Whenever she wrote, she felt as if she was in control.  
When she wrote, she got what she could not get from the real world.  
"What do you want?" he asked turning back to her sister's computer.  
"Can I have a smoke?" Her hands were shaking.  
"Sure." Aria answered. "There's some in my desk. Take as many as you want." she said as she put something into Mark's hand.  
"Thanks," she said.  
She went to her sister's desk and took a few blunts, placing them neatly into her jacket's pocket.  
"I'll see you later." she waved as she left her room.  
She almost ran to her own as she craved the relief her lungs were shouting for. She flicked her lights on, falling onto her bed as she lit her blunt in record timing.  
As she inhaled the heat, she could feel her lung warm up. She held the hot smoke in as long as she could before releasing it out of her nose.  
The thumping of her sister and Mark -planning for what must be one hell of a party- blasting rap music penetrated her walls, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as she grew annoyed. Holding the blunt in between her lips, she grabbed her headphones and hit shuffle on her iPod, slid over on her bed and stopped in front of her notebook which was laying on her nightstand.  
The familiar, calm beats of Little Dragon played against her ears. Her head bobbing to the percussion as she scrawled quickly and orderly.  
She was writing a song; it was a short story about a girl who had lost her mother but found that with a magical dust from a flower, she could always have her mother with her.  
Obviously she was high as hell.  
A pang in her heart struck her, her mind wandering to her own personal struggles. If she ever lost her mother, could she be as hopeful as this little girl? This poor, little girl who had enough belief to imagine anything was possible? No, she concluded. If she ever lost her mother, her beliefs and happiness would forever be lost.  
She gasped and dropped her notebook. She had become so involved with her story that she had failed to notice her blunt falling onto her leg and burning through her jeans.  
Unable to focus on much of anything at the moment, Callie decided it was best if she got some fresh, night air. She slipped off her headphones, placed them around her neck, and put her iPod into her pocket. She rubbed the lit end of her blunt into an ash try, eliminating the fire.  
Her sister's music had gotten louder since she began writing, her eyes flashing to her clock to see that it was already ten o'clock.  
Where had the time gone? Was she really that into her song writing, or had she been so consumed in the thoughts of her mother?  
Callie decided to prolong these thoughts, fetching her latern from her desk and turning off her bedroom light.  
As she opened her door, the rush of people and laughter was visible. Anxiety began to inch it's way up her spine, Callie's dislike for large amounts of people making her uneasy. Her fingers wrapped tighter around the lamp, her eyes averting to the ground as she slipped her way out of the large house.  
Callie was not looking where she was going and stopped when she literally ran into one of the "popular" kids, her eyes rising to meet a pair of fogged eyes. The boy was obviously drunk already, his breath cascading over her face. Callie held her breath, her eyes squeezing shut before her body came to it's senses by trying to move.  
"Hey, where do you think you're going?" the boy's voice was deep, the stench of his breath worse now that he dared to open his mouth.  
"Get the fuck out of my way." she shoved him to the side, the agitation only heightening as she noticed people watching them.  
Her heat began to beat faster, the urge to leave her house needed much more now that people were aware of her presence. Her boots squeaked against the wooden floors, her mind set on getting to her back door as fast as humanly possible.  
When she was finally out of the house, she let out a sigh of relief. Her heart returned to a steady pace as she began her route to the river


	4. Chapter 3

A/N: thank you guys so much for the feedback:)

WARNING: this chapter contains very sensitive content (sexual abuse, foul language) so if you aren't comfortable reading it, stop at the "*" and skip to when you see it again.

Arizona

The night sky was littered with bright stars, the street lamps scattered down the street illuminating the pavement. As Jackson kept a strong hold on Arizona's hand, her heart started pounding hard. It felt as if the events coming later tonight beginning to creep on her.  
"Babe, are you okay?" Arizona didn't look at him as he opened his truck's door for her. "Your hands are shaking."  
"Yeah," she whispered as one of her hands flew to her new necklace.  
"You sure you want to go to this party?" he asked as he hopped in the truck and turned on the vehicle.  
Arizona's other hand played with the end of her skirt, and she tried to calm her thoughts.  
Why was she so nervous? She loved Jackson, trusted him. She knew that he would take care of her, treat her like she was the only person in the world. He would love her, make sure she was happy. But that didn't stop the fear or the heavy weight that was beginning to crush her chest. She released her hold of her necklace, hands folding together atop of her knees.  
"Yeah, I'm sure." she turned her head, facing him as she gave him a smile. "Tonight is going to be great." she held his gaze for a moment before she turned and stared out of the windshield. Her eyes glossed over, heart beating even faster.  
"You gonna hang out with Teddy and April?"  
"Huh?" her voice rose in pitch as she questioned him. Why would he be worried out who she hung out with? She almost forgot about her friends until he brought them up, racing thoughts distracting her from anything and everything.  
"You're not gonna hang out with any guys, are you?"  
This made her nervous.  
"Why? I'll be with with you the whole time."  
He took his focus from the road for a split second to look at her; his lip was curled down, eyes thinned, nose crinkled. His expression softened when his view went back to what was in front of him.  
"With how you look tonight, guys will want to be all over you."  
Arizona scoffed. The thought of guys touching her or caressing her just made her stomach churn. _What was wrong with her? _Arizona shook her head. "How is tonight any different than how I look at school?" The outfit she was wearing covered as much as her cheerleading uniform. In fact, the skirt probably covered more.  
"You're just showing a lot of skin, that's all."  
Arizona could see his hands apply more pressure onto the wheel, his knuckles white.  
"Is that a problem?" she hesitated with how she delivered the question. She could see how obviously angry he was, but she didn't know that he felt so strongly about what she wore. In truth, he seemed to encourage her to wear such revealing clothing. He would always tell her how beautiful or sexy she looked. Never once had he implied a dissatisfaction to her choice in attire.  
"I just don't want anyone else looking at you like I do." he said as if it were self-explanatory.  
"You can't control who looks at me and who doesn't."  
Jackson sighed, the car stopped in the dead of night.  
Arizona could see the large house in the short distance, her eyes only straining slightly to see it. She looked at Jackson about to ask what they were doing but stopped herself. His hand was running over his head, his face red, nose flared.  
"Jackson...?" she reached a hand out to him, her fingers shaking a little as she wondered what was wrong.  
"Do you want to go back home?" he said between clenched teeth.  
"No." she put her hand down and bit her lower lip.  
Arizona was starting to get scared, his anger eminating through the whole truck.  
"Can you just, stop talking for the rest of the ride?"  
Arizona's eyes narrowed, her hands unbuckling her way from the truck. She hopped out of the vehicle, straighening out her skirt as she landed on her feet.  
"Arizona, wait," Jackson turned off the truck, the headlights following as he chased after her and grabbed her arm.  
"Get off of me." she pulled her arm away, her face matching his scarlet toned skin.  
"What is your problem?"  
Arizona rolled her eyes, disgust written on her face. "What's _my_ problem? You're the one who is freaking out over stupid shit! What? I can't wear this skirt? I can't hang out with my friends? What are you afraid of?" she was getting louder, each word she said putting more distance between the two.  
"Look Arizona, I'm sorry! I'm just-"  
"You're just what?" she threw her arms in the air and stopped in place.  
"I'm just scared, okay?"  
Scared? What could he possibly be afraid of? He wasn't the one who would have to give everything tonight. He wouldn't be the one in pain for that split second.  
He isn't the one who is doubting whether or not what they were doing was the right choice. _He wasn't the one who felt like they didn't belong. _  
"You're scared? How do you think I feel?" she wiped under her eyes, tears overflowing as her fear got the best of her.  
Jackson yelled, his foot making contact with his truck as his anger accelerated at an alarming rate. Arizona jumped in fear, her tears halting. She froze in place, voice stuck in her throat. The night air was making her dizzy, the cold breeze whisping her skirt around uncomfortably. Gooseflesh rose on her skin, her teeth chattering as she struggling to find the right words to say.  
Or, at least, not to say.  
"Jackson, I'm sorry, calm down, you're scaring me." she finally managed to get out.  
Jackson was pacing back and forth in front of his truck, his steps getting slower as his temper got in control. "I'll meet you at the party," he said.  
"Fine," Arizona said while marching her way to the foreign house.  
Arizona had trouble walking up to the house; the ground was covered in wet dirt, her flats occasionally getting stuck in the gunk. Her bare arms were shaking, a breeze blowing in what seemed to only be in her direction. Her eyes were straining to stay open, the combination of darkness and wind giving her trouble.  
As she reached the large, front door to Mark's house, she scraped the bottom of her flats off of the concrete ground and waited for someone to let her in.  
Music pounded against the door, the heavy sounds of rap music bringing a small discomfort to her ears. Arizona wasn't exactly fond of rap music; she thought it was too loud, vulgar, and just...gross. Her mother also like to remind her that it was not something a lady would ever be caught listening to.  
At just the mere thought of her mother, Arizona rolled her eyes and tapped her foot impatiently as she stood at the door.  
She straightened her body when she could hear someone unlocking the door, excitement taking over as she became eager to see her friends.  
An unfamiliar face opened the door, long brunette locks that framed a slim, caramel tinted face causing Arizona's mouth to dry. The girl's eyes were clouded over, the scent of strong smoke brushing over Arizona's face.

"Um, is this Mark's house?" Arizona looked around, biting her cheek.

"No, this is my house." the girl had a slight accent, arms crossing over her silk covered chest. Arizona couldn't help her eyes from trailing over the girl's body, throat clearing as she attempted to control her roaming mind from the beautiful woman in front of her.

"You here for the party, blondie?" Mark opened the door wider, hand scratching his head as the other went around the Latina's shoulders.

"Yeah, um," she forced a smile onto her face, dimples popping out brilliantly. "I'm Arizona..."

"Ah! Cheerleader, yeah, yeah," Mark looked her up and down. "Don't you got some kind of boyfriend?

"Right here." Arizona tensed. She would have yelled, but Jackson's hold around her stomach made her unable to. She squirmed in his arms, his breath hitting her ears. She was still mad at him, a frown taking place on her face.  
"Oh, hey," Mark and the other girl moved out of the way, Arizona unhooking herself from his arms.  
"Get off of me," she grunted as he placed his arms back around her.  
"Babe, please chill out." his hold tightened as she continued to struggle against him.  
"Leave me alone! Jackson, please, I don't want to even see you right now." she growled.  
"Please, just forgive me."  
She sighed and let her body go limp against him.  
"If I forgive you will you just leave me alone?" she begged. She felt so emotionally drained; it was like a hammering in her brain every time she let one thought cross her mind.  
When he let go of her, Arizona bolted into the house in search of her friends. She was panting, her lungs inhaling the air that was previously constricted. The music was much louder now that she was actually in the house, but the heavy tune switched to house music. The lights went out, strobe lights matching the drum and bass of the music.  
"Ugh," she softly smacked her head at the inconvenience. This is exactly what she needed right now.  
"Arizona!" she recognized the voice of Teddy, her head whipping in the direction she heard the shout from. Her long locks fell over her shoulder and her lips pressed together in an attempt to relieve some tension.  
The flashing lights were dancing off of the walls, different colors going over Arizona's skin every second.  
"Arizona," Teddy was next to her now, her lips stained a dark pink. Her green eyes were surrounded by dark lashes, her long straight hair framing her face.  
The two embraced for a short moment; Teddy had accidently stepped on Arizona's foot.  
"Ow," Arizona winced and hopped back. Teddy was wearing red stilettos and a red dress that highlighted all of her curves. "Wow, Teddy, you look amazing."  
"Thank you," she twisted a piece of hair around her finger and grinned.  
"Where's Lexie and April?" Arizona looked around the packed room, her best friends no where in sight.  
"Uh," Teddy removed her finger from her hair and placed it over her lips in thought. Her eyes widened and lips puckered against her finger. She appeared to space out for a moment.  
Arizona knew this as her thinking face, at least whens she was really thinking about something.  
"Lexie is with some guy by the drinks," her face returned to it's perfect state as she pointed in the direction of where the liquor was located. "I have no idea where April is. I don't even know if she came yet."  
"Huh," Arizona said more to herself. She had been very curious about April and her actions lately. She was getting the idea that April was becoming more distant with her and closer to Jackson. The way she would act near her when Jackson was around: nice, sweet, gentle. But as soon as he left the vacinity, she would turn into almost a different person, her voice raising in an evil pitch, eyes narrowing into slits.  
She hated the person April was becoming, and she really hoped with everything in her that she was not after Jackson.  
But what if she was? What could she do? Would Jackson even want to return those feelings?  
Arizona shook her head and ran a hand through her hair. "Listen, I'm going to talk to Lexie for a sec. Are you going to be-" she paused when she focused back on her friend. "Okay."  
Teddy was busy making out with some guy she had never seen before. Arizona whistled and went to talk to Lexie as she tried to process what she had just witnessed.  
When she arrived at the drinks table, Arizona grabbed a red solo cup from a stack and filled it with some contents from a bowl. As the liquid passed her lips, a burn rose in her chest, her throat constricting with the unfamiliar taste. In the process of controlling herself, she caught sight of Lexie. She was talking to one of the guys they had all just mocked earlier that day, the one throwing this whole party.  
She was smiling, their bodies close together, too close for someone who Lexie thought was disgusting.  
"Lexie?" Arizona held her cup in both hands as she approached the two. Lexie, grasping the fact that she had been caught talking to one of the "losers", stepped away from him. She shook her head, saying something to him quietly before picking up her cup from a nearby table. "Hey," Arizona said as she tried to act like she didn't see anything.  
"What's up?" Lexie took a nervous sip from her cup, her eyes not making any kind of contact with Arizona.  
"Nothing much," Arizona huffed. "Jackson is just a bastard." her fingers squeezed her cup, her eyes darting to the contents inside. Thinking about him now only made her cheeks darken and stomach coil.  
"What happened?" Arizona studied Lexie, noticing that her attention was now fully on her.  
She really was a good friend. Even though she had almost been caught with a guy who is below her in the high school food chain, she put that all aside because of the concern she had with Arizona.  
"We had a fight. He just got really controlling today. He didn't like what I was wearing; he said it was too revealing." Plus he was being _way _too touchy earlier.  
Lexie chuckled, her eyes rolling in disbelief. "Our cheerleading uniforms are shorter than that."  
Arizona threw her hands in the air, momentarily forgetting that she still had liquid in her cup. "Crap," she stepped away from the puddle the formed on the wooden ground. "But yeah," she looked back at Lexie. "That's exactly what I said. I don't know what his problem is. He was acting really weird today. He wasn't himself."  
"Maybe he's nervous, about, you know," Lexie whispered leaning in.  
Arizona moaned and began walking away from her friend.  
"What? What did I say?" Lexie put her hand on Arizona's shoulder and turned her around.  
"Why does he get an excuse to act like a prick just because he's scared? Why doesn't anyone care how I feel?" Arizona was fuming as she slammed her cup onto a counter next to her.  
"Maybe that's why he's afraid. Isn't this his first time too? Maybe he's afraid of hurting you, or doing something wrong."  
Arizona's eyes fell, her body doing the same as she sat down onto a nearby couch. She hadn't considered that. She only thought about what would happen to her when they did it. She was only worried about how this would affect her. She didn't even once give any care as to what he was thinking or feeling.  
"You're right," she said. She took her cup from the counter top and downed the rest of the contents in the cup. She felt like crap. She flipped out on Jackson for no reason and it was her fault they were fighting.  
"I am," Lexie laughed. She sat down next to Arizona on the sofa, their thighs touching.  
The house's lights had turned back on at that point, the strobe lights off as pop music filled the mansion-esque home.  
The two sat comfortably for a few minutes until Arizona grew anxious. She knew she had to talk to Jackson, apologize. She stood up and fixed her skirt. "I'll be back," she shook her head and smiled. "I might be back. I'm going to go find Jackson... apologize." she let out a long breath as she thought about him.  
Arizona knew that when he was mad, there was only one place he could be.  
With his idiot jock friends.  
The rumble of men shouting "chug" and "whoo" helped to guide her to where Jackson could be. As the vulgarity got louder, Arizona moved her hands over her ears.  
She spotted the lot of them in the kitchen. The cheering increased as one of them tried to down a gallon of alcohol from a slim tube. They were all huge, their varsity jackets all thrown on some chair in the room. Arizona had trouble finding Jackson as she stepped over puddles of liquor.  
"Jackson!" she yelled. "Jackson, where are you?" the strong smell of alcohol filled her nose and it took her a great effort to make her way to him.  
He happened to be one of the bistanders in this disgusting event. "Jackson," she said in a softer tone. She couldn't help the smile that spread across her face at him being so happy and elated. She felt terrible for treating him so unfairly.

She shoved many men out of the way, her body pressing against Jackson's as she spoke to him.  
"Can we talk upstairs?" she whispered into his ear. She stretched back and gave him her best pout, forcing her eyes to glisten.  
"Sure," he grinned as his eyes ran over her body.  
He took her hand and led her away from his friends, all of them not paying any kind of attention to their quarterback leaving. The large house was filled with rooms, so finding an empty one shouldn't be too hard.  
She was nervous, her hands shaking, palms sweating. She could hear each thump as her heart hammered against her chest.  
They were now in front of the last door on the right. The dark wood stood tall, a black doorknob just waiting to be turned. Arizona placed her hand around it, the cold object making her shudder.  
You can do this, she told herself as the door was swung open. All she had to do was apologize, get things back to normal and then...

And then what? Arizona could barely even decipher what she felt anymore. But, she had to shove her worries away and hide them as she pushed the door open.  
It was clear that this room was for guests. The bed was about queen sized, small dressers pressed up against an old fashioned wallpaper wall. Various mirrors were placed around the room and the lights were dim. Tentatively, Arizona went to the bed, sitting on the soft comforter. Jackson shut the door, going to sit next to her.  
She tried to ignore the smell of alcohol that eminated from him, her nose crinkling in petty disgust. Though, when she looked into his eyes, all her feelings came crashing against her. She felt guilty, her heart finally deciding that being with him just wasn't...right. Her hands were clamped onto the edge of the bed, her teeth biting her bottom lip. "Uh," she swallowed, facing him.  
His hands touched her thigh, her skin trembling under his touch. Her eyes bore into his face, Jackson looking at her legs. He moved his hands higher, his hold becoming harsher as he started to move her skirt out of the way.  
"Jackson, wait, can we just-" he placed a hand over her mouth, silencing her from speaking.  
Arizona didn't scream, she was too stunned. His hand was hot and it smelled of beer. Her throat closed, lungs burning as the struggle for air made her light headed.

****** *** **** ***** **** *** ***** ** ***  
"This is going to go my way. If you so much as make one fucking peep," despite the cruel words, his words had a soothing tone. His mouth was on her ear, her back pressed on the bed. His hands hand moved her skirt out of the way, his hand wrapped around her hips. "I will make sure you will never make another one again." his last words were hissed, a poisen to her eardrums.  
She whimpered under his hand and cried. Her cheeks were soon covered with tears that were tainted by mascara. Her eyes were wide open, the blue orbs looking at the ceiling as he removed his hand.  
No sound escaped her throat.  
For some reason, she believed that he would silence her if she spoke. The way he spoke his words, the total malice in them.  
All she could do was be silent.  
Within a cracked breath, she was flipped over with her hands pinned behind her back. Her face was mashed into the silk sheets, the lightness of her hair covering her terrified face.  
"Why the hell did you have to wear this skirt?" he licked her earlobe, his hands rubbing against her legs. He took off her flats, throwing them across the room before returning to assault her. "I'm the only one who can touch you." he snarled while ripping her skirt off.  
Arizona held her mouth shut, the urge to scream and cry for help more powerful than ever. She could feel her nose run, her face burning up as her fear escalated at an alarming rate.  
What did she do to deserve this?  
Jackson grabbed her buttocks, squeezed her harshly. He put his face by her neck again, his hand moving her hair away so he could lick his way up her neck. "I love you so much," he said once he reached her ear.  
Arizona could only cry in response, her hands clenching and unclenching against her back. She was sobbing now, her silent tears doing nothing to persuade Jackson out of what he was planning to do.  
Put yourself in a happy place. Don't think. This isn't even happening. Maybe Jackson is playing a joke? This is not real. She tried to convince herself, but none of it worked.  
This was inevitable.

Her stomach clenched, throat burning as bile began to trickle its way up her throat.  
She could hear him unfasten his pants, his belt buckle clanking to the floor. He did this all with one hand, the other continuing to hold her arms behind her. "Now this can be easy," he placed his thumb under the waistband of her panties.  
"No!" she cried.  
"Shut up!" his fist made contact with her side, the wind getting knocked out of her. Her panting and sobs were the only sounds in the room as Jackson waited for her to recover from his harsh blow.  
"What did I tell you about talking?" he punched the other side of her this time, Arizona shutting her eyes in pain, her teeth and lips pressing together while she did her best not to make another sound.

Her heart was pounding, blood rushing to her ears, throbbing. The horrible smell of Jackson was only temporarily masked by the sweet smell of freshly washed covers.  
Arizona could barely tell that he pulled her panties off, but she became fully aware, still, when a horrendous pain entered her lower belly. A ripping, tearing; an invasion.  
Pain. It was the only thing on her mind, the only thing she was allowed to think and feel.  
Jackson decided that she was unstable enough to do anything. He knew that the penatration would be harmful to her; there would be no way for her to escape. As he released her, her arms dangled to her sides. Jackson moved his hands to her hips, giving himself better access to hurt her even more.  
He pounded into her, Arizona silently screaming with each source of impact. She could feel herself falling apart, her head sweating, eyes most likely red from the amount of tears that have gathered in them.  
What was happening?  
He grunted loudly, fulfilling his needs quicker than she expected as he let go inside of her. He was worn out, but not enough to gather his strength to flip her over onto her back. He placed a dirty hand on the side of her face and mashed his nose against hers.  
"If you tell anyone," he rubbed his thumb under her eye. "I will give you something to cry about. I will fucking finish you." he smiled, placed his lips upon hers, and threw her off of the bed. "Now get out. I'm tired."  
He grabbed her by the arms and dragged her out of the room. She fell into the hallway, her panties and skirt being thrown at her. "Get yourself together. Don't act like you didn't enjoy it." he slammed the door in her face.  
Arizona curled into a ball on the wooden floor, putting her clothes back on as she cried.  
All she could do was cry. 

Callie

Her eyes were shut, music pounding against her ears as her body lay against her small, cotton blanket. Her foot tapped to the strong beats and she sang lightly to the words that had no meaning. Her heart began to pound fast, images of her mother laying in the hospital invading her thoughts. Pictures of her battered face, her fear strucken eyes.  
Anger trickled its way down her spine, Callie pulling off her headphones and tossed them to the side. Her hands went to her hair, her fingers digging to the roots as she felt the need to shout and scream. The music she was previously listening to was playing in the background. The light, gentle melodies that now played was something Callie could barely deal with.  
She growled lowly, finding her iPod and turning it off completely.  
She could hear crickets, their legs brushing together bringing some type of melody to the silence of the night.  
Callie titled her head in confusion when the crickets stopped making their music. She opened her ears, knowing that the only reason they would stop was if someone were coming. She pulled the sleeves of her leather jacket over her hands, eyes scanning the wilderness.  
She could hear cries and light footsteps coming her way. Callie reached behind her for her lantern and switched it on so she could see better.  
The girl was closer, her clothes tattered and muddied. Her skirt was twisted in the wrong way, her legs filthy. Her blonde hair was in a disarray around her face, some pieces in large clumps that fell onto her shoulders.  
As their eyes met, Callie froze.  
"Holy shit," she whispered lowely.  
She knew this girl to be Arizona Robbins, otherwise known as the girl she had the biggest crush on ever. The thought, though, was almost completely ignored when she saw how sad the girl was. Her once raised brows from surpise relaxed as she noticed the pain Arizona had gone through.  
What happened to her? she thought. Who in their right mind would want to do something so horrible to someone so pretty, smart, brave?  
"Who are you?" the beautiful blonde asked suddenly.  
Callie clicked her tongue, shocked that Arizona didn't remember her from all the taunting her friends did. As she continued to examine the girl, her body visibly shaking, she sighed in sadness.  
"What happened to you?" her voice came out harsher than she planned, but the thoughts of all the names she had been called by Arizona's friends made her pissed. They made fun of her and her friends on a daily basis, the level of difficulty that kept her from decapitating Arizona was high.  
Arizona stuttered, her eyes moving to a random spot on the ground. They grew large, her breath coming out in loud pants. She shook harder, her wobbling legs looking as if they were about to hit the ground.  
"Hey," she wanted to get her attention and help get the focus off whatever was bothering her. "Are you okay?" She could feel her face scrunch up, her hands gripping onto her lantern tighter than before.  
Callie felt a painful pang in her heart as Arizona started to cry. "No," she sobbed. Callie watched as she fell to the ground in defeat.  
"Shit," she muttered as she prepared herself to cross the narrow river. The water was surprisingly warm, the lanter in her hands held above her head. She moved as fast as she could through the slow moving current to reach Arizona. She set the lanter carelessly to the side as she wrapped her arms around Arizona and she dug her fingers deep into her back. She felt so worried for this person that she barely knew.  
While part of her was excited at the fact that she was actually touching Arizona, another part was screaming for an answer. She pulled away, her thoughts confirmed as she scanned the girl before her.  
"Aren't you Arizona Robbins?" a vocal answer would give her more comfort.  
Arizona nodded, some of her hair falling over her shoulder. "Oh," she mumbled.  
She thought of her Mark; he would be able to help, wouldn't he? Mark knew many things about medicine and care. Her hands flew out, her mind wanted to check for any broken bones, but she stopped herself. She needed a distraction, something that would take her mind away from wanting to continuously touch the girl in the front of her.  
"Why aren't you at that party?"  
Arizona's eyes glazed over, her head shaking as she looked like a deer in headlights.  
"Don't mention the party," she bit her lip, the skin breaking as blood fell to her chin. "Don't mention the party. Don't mention the party," she kept repeating. Arizona placed her hands on Callie's shoulders, shaking her body until Callie pulled her off.  
"Okay," Callie shushed the girl as she continued to mumble the words. It wasn't long before Arizona grew quiet, her shakes decreasing as she became limp in Jaime's arm.  
Callie was stunned. What the hell was going on? A light snore was heard, Callie looking down to see Arizona asleep in her arms.  
"Fuck," she smacked her forehead lightly. She had to call her best friend, see if he could help her get Arizona out of here. She knew that she wouldn't be able to do it on her own. Her eyes trailed to the river before landing on the blanket that still lay on the ground. She searched for her phone, spotting it as it glowed in the night air. Callie sighing as she tried to think of a way to move without waking the girl.  
She set the girl down on the ground as softly as she could, her hands brushing her hair from her eyes. She grunted as she attempted to reach the other side. The raucous sound of her phone ringing made Callie roll her eyes. She glanced behind her, seeing if Arizona was still asleep as she reached for her cell phone. She unlocked her phone and listened to the voice on the other end.  
"Hey, Callie, where you at?" it was Mark, his voice laced with alcohol.  
"I'm at the river-"  
"Again?" he coughed.  
"Listen I need a favor." she took a shaky breath, her eyes floating to the still sleeping girl across the narrow river.  
"What?" Callie could just picture Mark and her sister lounging on her futon, a cigarette or blunt between their lips.  
"Arizona Robbins wandered here and-"  
"Arizona?" his voice got clearer with awareness. "What is she doing with you?"  
Callie sighed, her hand dramatically covering her face. "Mark, just shut the hell up and listen to me for a sec."  
"Fine, fine," he sniffed and coughed.  
"She looks really beat up. She seems terrified, Mark. I don't know what happened, but I don't think she can walk." she tried to keep the heavy concern from leaking into her voice.  
Callie could hear shuffling in the background, keys jangling and heavy footsteps sounding. "I'll be there in 5 minutes. I'm taking your shitty car, though. I'm not messing up my-"  
"Okay, okay. Just get here as soon as you can." Callie hung up the phone, throwing it to the side. She got up, balled up her blanket and put it in the nearby tree. She picked up her phone and placed it into her hoodie's pocket before crossing the river again.  
"Arizona," she whispered whens he reached her.  
Callie's hands touched Arizona's forehead, the icy beads of sweat covering her tan skin. "Arizona," she whispered again. "Come on, you have to wake up."  
She only mewled quietly, her eyes fluttering without opening.  
"Come on," Callie patted her cheek but she got no response. She gave up, only moving Arizona's hair from her face as she waited for her best friend.  
Callie huffed in relief when she could hear the familiar sound of tires rolling over twigs and dirt. Bright lights coming from her car began to shine her way making her squint.  
"Finally," she murmured. To the best of her ability, Callie gathered Arizona into her arms, her tiny form lighter than she expected.  
Her station wagon stopped inches from her feet, the light shining right into her eyes. She went around the car, Mark getting out to open the back door.  
"So you gonna tell me what really happened?" he asked.  
Mark was now clad in dark blue jeans, a wife beater hanging off of his chest and worn out tennis shoes. His pupils were dialated, a sure sign of his recent consumption of illegal substances. His dark hair was hidden by a large, cotton knit hat.  
"What? She just wandered up here looking like she got in one hell of a fight."  
"How long was she here?" he took Arizona from her arms, laying her on the back seat before shutting the door.  
The two friends stood in a similar way; their arms were crossed, both of them now leaning against the station wagon as they examined the environment around them.  
"I wanna say ten minutes tops." she looked at Mark.  
"Ten minutes? You sure about that?"  
"Yeah." puzzlement formed on her face. "Why?"  
"The party ended about twenty minutes ago. Jackson said she left over two hours ago."  
What the hell was she doing for two hours?  
"You're not serious." she moved her hands to the insides of her leather jacket, her fists clenched tightly. "Why didn't he take her home?" Callie had a special hatred for the jocks. They made her life at school almost impossible. The cheerleaders practically bowed to her feet compared to them.  
She especially hated Jackson. He would shove her into lockers. Call her every homophobic name in the handbook. He even locked her in the janitor's closet the year before.  
But who believed her when the janitor got her out at 7 o'clock at night?  
No one, of course.  
"He said she got tired and left with Teddy." he stood straight, his head gesturing to the car. "You wanna drive?"  
Callie's hands were still shaking violently. She didn't think driving in her state would be a smart thing to do. "No. Do you mind?" she was already in the passenger seat before Mark could answer.  
"Nope," he said as he got in and put the car in reverse.  
The short ride was silent, Arizona lightly snoring in the back and the friends barely listening to the rock station.  
When they arrived back at their home, Callie rushed out of the car and going straight for the back. "Give me a hand?" she asked opening the door.

Callie jumped when she heard the front door to her house open, her sister Aria lightly jogging to her side.  
Mark stood beside her, each of them grabbing Arizona and carrying her into the house.  
"She can stay in my room." Mark said trying to hide a smile.

Mark was over so often, he claimed one of the guest room's as his. Of course, her father didn't know about it.

She doubt Mark would still be alive if he knew.  
"She's not staying in your fucking room you perv," she hissed.  
"Fine, the other guest room then."  
It took Callie a moment to notice the mess from the party. Solo cups were splayed everywhere, the air tainted with the smell of every type of drug one could imagine.  
"You better have this place cleaned up before Dad comes back." she said pointedly looking at Aria then Mark.  
"I don't give a fuck about him." Callie heard her Mark's jaw lock, her hands shaking even harder in fear.  
When they reached the guest room, Callie and Aria handed Arizona off to Mark so that she could make the bed ready for her. Mark lay her down, Callie brushing a piece of hair away from Arizona's face before leaving the room.  
"I told my mom," she confessed shutting the door behind her. She couldn't bare lying to him anymore.  
Mark was in the midst of walking back to his room, but he stopped his tracks. His back muscles tensed, his fists balled tightly.  
"You did what?" he turned around, taking time to meet her eyes.  
Callie gasped, backing up against the door as his eyes blared. They were full of so much hatred and it scared her...for a moment Callie couldn't breath.  
Mark's face softened, obviously recognizing his actions and seeing the fear in Callie's eyes. His lips quivered before he pushed his hat off of his head and ran to his room.

A/N: thoughts?


End file.
